Forgiveness
by Athenas
Summary: This Is a Mini Story between Cloud and Tifa. Cloud's past comes back to haunt him, Many things are left unsaid untill the last possiable moment.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the characters or to the song/video used within this fan fic.**

_Extra Info: The Following song represents how cloud is feeling towards Tifa and their unspoken love for each other._

_Acompanying Song: Breathe you in – Thousand Foot Krutch_

**FORGIVENESS**

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"I CANT LOSE HER THIS TIME RENO, JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Cloud, I'm coming with you"

"NO! its mine to deal with, I promised her I would never let anything happen to her, I failed her, its my fault she's in danger, if I hadn't of let Sephiroth go she wouldn't be hurt now"

Rushing past Reno, Cloud walks out of the door and running down the stairs cloud gets outside, finding his bike and climbing on he kicks it into gear and speeds off leaving a trail of nothing but dust.

"Ah shit" Reno pants breathlessly after having tried to catch Cloud.

--

Speeding along the road wind blowing through his hair, thinking to himself…

"What if he's already killed her? How do I save her? Where could he have taken her? Oh god, how could I let this happen?"

Then it dawned on him… this was sephiroth after all and where else would he go but to be with 'Mother'

Looking around to see where he was, noticing he had already been traveling to Jenova's cell all along like some unseen magnet had been pulling him towards her. He knew he loved Tifa but was shamed to admit how he felt, he had known her since he was a boy and he always knew he felt something for her but it wasn't till they were around 15 that he discovered what he was feeling… all this time he had loved her but just couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Suddenly he stopped, Feeling a little bewildered he looked around realizing where he was… outside the complex that had been known as the Shinra company…

Getting off his bike, Cloud slowly walks up to the rusted doors to the large derelict building fearing what he may find inside.

Pulling at the door's opening making it just wide enough to squeeze inside without causing too much of a disturbance, Hoping to have the element of surprise on his side. Reaching behind himself Cloud pats his back making sure he had his trusty sword; he knew he would have to use it to defend himself against sephiroth and his minions.

Creeping down the long dark, dusty hall towards where Jenova was placed years ago, Turning the last corner before arriving at Jenova's prison he suddenly heard her, She was pleading with him, begging him to let her go… hearing this, it tore at Cloud's heart… He heard it again, another plead from Tifa brought him back to the real world, remembering why he was here, he pulled out his sword cloud ran full speed into the room where sephiroth had Tifa held hostage…

"LET HER GO SEPHIROTH!"

"And just why should I do what you say?" now laughing like a small boy in the midst of a candy store.

"Because if you don't I will be forced to kill you!" feelings of fear and pain rushing through his entire body, heart pounding in his chest, adrenalin fueling his anger… he could feel it taking over his body, yet in some ways he was calm, it all seemed clear to him, he had come here to get Tifa and leave no matter what it took… Now was his chance…

Rushing towards Sephiroth, sword drawn and ready for the first fatal blow… Swinging with all his strength aiming not to hurt but to kill, this time sephiroth would not be coming back from the dead, this time Cloud would make sure of it.

A loud clang rang around the room as both Cloud and Sephiroth's weapons found each other, again and again they kept swinging, locked in a furious battle between life and death… but this time Cloud's strike hit home knocking Sephiroth's sword out of his hands.

"So what now, Brother? You kill me? I don't think Mother would be too happy" Sephiroth laughed as he stumbled backwards from the sheer force of Cloud's last blow.

Turning to wards the girl he grew up with and the woman he had come to love Cloud yelled "Tifa, Go now! Get out of here, I can handle Sephiroth"

"No, I won't leave yo…"

Suddenly Tifa was crouched over on the floor, blood pouring from her stomach; neither of them knew what had happened…

"Fool, I told you Mother would not be happy with you, now look what you have done brother, your insolence has taken her life" laughing uncontrollably with a gun in hand, the barrel still smoking from the shot.

Rushing over to Tifa, taking her into his arms as she falls towards the ground, Covered in blood and shaking like a leaf Tifa whispered softly to Cloud. "You came for me like you promised"

Tears now running down his face Cloud whispered back "But I could not save you, I failed to protect you when you needed it the most, I failed you Tifa, I'm sorry"

"Shhh, you came for me, that's all that matters" tears now rolling down her own face, becoming weaker but still managing to form a small smile

"Tifa, I have to tell you this, before it's too late" Suddenly finding the courage to tell her "Tifa… I love you, I always have, I didn't know how to say it, and I didn't think that I had any chance… I…I'm sorry"

With the last bit of strength Tifa mumbles to cloud with her last breath four barely hearable words "I love you too"

Feeling her slip away cloud lays her now limp lifeless body on the ground as a new rage grows rapidly inside of him, reaching for his sword once more he lunges at sephiroth with a new power and hatred that both of them had never seen again, Fighting furiously blocking each others blows, feeling his strength fading fast Cloud prepares for one last attack, gathering all his strength and within a moment it was over… Cloud's strike had found its target, Sephiroth was now lying on the floor gasping for air as cloud sank to his knees, finally it had hit him, Tifa was gone and it was over, Sephiroth was dead.

Slowly standing Cloud walked over to where Tifa's body was, bending down and picking her up Cloud walks solemnly out of the old derelict Shinra building with tears running down his face harder than before.

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**AN: I hope you guys like this, its my first attempt at a short story / Oneshot, Let me know what you think!**

**Thank you for reading.**


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